April 28, 2008—Three 225-kilowatt wind turbines mounted on the newly built Bahrain World Trade Center, spinning in unison, mark a milestone for the world’s first integration of utility-scale wind turbines into a building. The three 29m-diameter (roughly 95 ft.) turbine blades are the first in the world to be integrated on such a scale into a commercial development, officials say.
The turbines are mounted on heavy bridges that span the gap between two “visually striking” sail-shaped buildings, which are meant to help funnel the strong on-shore winds into the blades. Once fully operational, the wind turbines are expected to operate roughly half of the time, generating 11%-15% of the building’s energy needs.
The international technology-based consultancyAtkins designed the building, and the Danish wind turbine technology company Norwin supplied the wind turbines.
During the coming months, the turbines will undergo detailed analysis and optimization by Norwin to determine their actual generating potential.
